<p>Where are you people getting the idea that med schools frown upon summer courses? Have you specifically talked to a ADCOM about the issue or is it just what you “think.” Or wait, lol, have those beloved counselors told you this? Medical schools do not care if you take pre reqs during the summer. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE AS SCIENCE MAJOR. Some of the information here is ridiculous. </p>
<p>I will, however, agree that medical schools do not like you taking your pre reqs at an “easier” institution. ADCOMS know that some universities give out easier grades than others. Wait, but how do I know this? Because a ADCOM told me!</p>
<p>I don’t think taking science pre-reqs during summer school at your same undergrad institution is a huge deal - because taking science classes during summer school at UNC is INTENSE and not for the fainthearted. Just don’t be taking them at different, “easier” schools during the summer.</p>
<p>This thread has some good information that I hadn’t thought about. Thank you.</p>
<p>My own son is at UNC, and said that he realized immediately that everything on the tests is not spoonfed as it was in high school. You have to do some self teaching, and you have to study the books: more than just lecture notes. He has a 3.9 GPA, is taking premed classes, and has earned those grades by going far beyond what has been discussed in class, or covered in class. There aren’t any trick questions, but there are questions based on readings and chapters that are assigned but not discussed.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info. FYI, my son has already volunteered at our local hospital before his senior year in high school. He will be volunteering at the free clinic this summer as well as taking non-premed summer transfer classes.</p>
<p>A better question, where are you getting your information? I’ve been through the process (and the residency match process) with my son. I’ve also been on and around the Pre med forums for a number of years and have a number of friends who are on the admissions committees at several top 20/25 med schools. The info I share is from first hand experience, not anecdotal. </p>
<p>Med school admission is an enormous crap shoot to begin with. Why do ANYTHING to increase the odds of not getting admitted? Adcoms really don’t need much of a reason to turn someone down-why give them one?</p>
<p>FACT: Med schools don’t like summer classes in pre requisite classes and really don’t like someone taking them at another school. </p>
<p>Summers should be spent shadowing, doing research, volunteering…in other words doing all the other things you will need to round out and complete your application and resume.</p>
<p>I appreciate all the advice eadad. I certainly understand the maturity factor in relation to the grind of medical school. I also understand the reasoning behind the importance in taking classes during the regular school year versus summer school or transfer from another school. Thinking as a businessman, I would be more impressed with someone that busted their rears to graduate within 3 years with a double major, assuming gpa’s, overall quality of schools, mcat scores, and volunteering was comparable to someone that took 4 or more years.</p>
<p>Most of you have no clue. Goto State because it is easier but not be as prepared?
Plenty of State students in medical schools who are doing just fine. As far as hard vs easy. Science is science…the subject matter does not change. State students are prepared just fine. Plus, Mcat scores are the great equalizer. Finally, who says Unc is the measuring stick for allother schools. You assume Unc is hard and Stateis easy yet that is just a relative comparison. Plenty of top students from schools like Stanford, Berkley and Michigan would view Unc as an easier school in the sciences. It is amazing none of you are thinking the same thing…should you goto Stanford because it is more rigorous than Unc and ADCOMS will know that as well. Maybe you should not take the easier route to med school through Unc vs a more rigorous school such as Stanford or Duke. The point is your admissions to medical school is not coming down to a comparison to students at Nc State…</p>
<p>Last summer, I chose to take a dual-enrollment course (General Chemistry) at a local community college, and I noticed that a good deal of my classmates were Chapel Hill students. At the time, I thought nothing of this; however, I am beginning to realize that the science courses at UNC are of a much higher difficulty level than most state universities. Nevertheless, I remain mostly undaunted by this prospect; I feel that I am prepared for the challenge.</p>
<p>I know this thread is long dead, but I’ll just throw in my input. I go to Hopkins and a wildly popular option here is to take the Orgo sequence over the summer. If summer classes really were frowned upon by medical schools, the pre professional office would have advised students against it a LONG time ago since the VAST majority of the students who take this sequence over the summer are pre med students. Plus, there are still another 2 WHOLE summers to do some of the other application rounding activities (shadowing, volunteering etc. ) that you mentioned.</p>
<p>But I guess the preprofessional advising office at one of the top institutions in the world with a direct line of communication with one of the top, if not the top, medical institution in the world is clearly misguided and misinformed.</p>
<p>For future students, I personally recommend taking summer classes however I would recommend taking them at the institution where you are currently enrolled, if that helps at all. Med school is med school. Nothing is ever guaranteed. Rather than worry about whether they’ll “frown” on something is irrelevant. Just do the best you can, be as well rounded as you can, and the rest will fall into place.</p>
<p>Things may be different at Hopkins if a lot of pre-medical students do it over the summer. At many other colleges, taking them over the summer can mean you avoid competition from other pre-medical students.</p>